macroalgae question

[TommyP]

werd2738 I am SO sorry for jacking your thread :/

 

[werd2738]

Lol no prob man im still reading and learning. I have the same issue. I have prob 50 snails total, and maybe two or three will be on the glass. Everything in my tank focuses on my rocks. Which I guess isn't a bad thing since I can clean my glass. The front and sides at least. My rock and equipment prevents me from cleaning the back, but like you I have a black background so its not terribly noticeable.

 

[Supa Belle]

I'd advise getting about 5 Mexican turbo snails that's all I have in my tank and they clean up my rocks also. While I was in the cycling phase I had loads of that long hair algea grow and they wiped it out in a week or to and I haven't had any algae build up since I've added them and they are the only snails I have besides a tiger conch for my sand

 

[marsh]

Thanks for this thread yo, today I knew enough about it to find some macro algae at a cool lfs that is sadly closing the 15th of this month. The employee gave me massive handfuls too!

He told me to toss it right into the tank, which is a week into a fish in cycle, two fish a sailfin Molly and 2" scooter blenny. No CuC yet until my test fit arrives (aaaarrrrgggg) but any warnings about caring for this macro algae?

What is an ideal photo period, I have one older blue and one older white bulb running for now on a 48" T5HO that I picked up yesterday on CL for a guy who used it for a year, then stored it for 2.

I'm afraid of over/under exposing it to light, it's halfway to the surface in a 55 gallon. Also my salinity is at 1.021

Thanks y'all

 

[Supa Belle]

Excellent size bag of cheato and perhaps some dragons tongue looks like. I'd add of all to the sump if u have one not the main tank as the cheato will grow really fast

 

[marsh]

Thanks supa, I'm actually only running a skimmer.

Trying to work out if I can find the right shape container for a sump in my cabinet (low height, long and narrow) or get an acrylic box made locally. I have holes in the right spots in this (used custom built) cabinet between shelves for a skimmer, and to the back of the tank. Otherwise cramped under the tank.

I also like the In tank and hob refugiums from drs F&S but unsure about the pump noise for the in tank, and the hob if it fits on the end of my 55" that is enclosed 5" deep on the top side edge.

Maybe I can have both made and drilled at an acrylic place?

 

[Supa Belle]

What size is your tank? Depending on the size u may be able to get away with building a 20 gal long sump and from my understanding petco is running there $1 gal sale on tanks. Nm went back and read you have a 55 gal if your stan for the 55 is anything like my stand you can fit a 20 gal long tank under it and build your own sump using a HOB overflow box

 

[marsh]

^ the shelves are each 13" deep and 11" tall

The left side has a cutout between top and bottom levels that is 11" long and 8". Deep

The skimmer I run is 23" tall and that might barely fit

 

[Supa Belle]

And ur salinity is a bit low in my opinion I keep my tank at 1.024-1.026 but I have corals

 

[marsh]

And ur salinity is a bit low in my opinion I keep my tank at 1.024-1.026 but I have corals

Agreed, need more salt and to buy some RODI filters for a unit I picked up yesterday. I saw the RO water from outside the supermarket has led to algae, which was what my whole tank was made with earlier this month

 

[Supa Belle]

Yea your stand height is a bit short but no harm in leaving your skimmer where it is. Another option u could do is get a 10 gal tank and find a stand the same height or a bit shorter and have a display fuge and plumb the fuge tank to the main display tank and that will give you some diff fish options also ex: if you'd like sea horses then you would be able to plant the tank with macro and a bit of live rock and have a sea horse tank with a purpose since both the fuge and sea horses and pipe fish need lower flows just an idea

 

[Supa Belle]

Agreed, need more salt and to buy some RODI filters for a unit I picked up yesterday. I saw the RO water from outside the supermarket has led to algae, which was what my whole tank was made with earlier this month

Yea I was useing RO water from the machines outside the supermarket if they are maintenced properly it's ok but they usually are not so large algae outbreak from that water

 

[marsh]

Yea I was useing RO water from the machines outside the supermarket if they are maintenced properly it's ok but they usually are not so large algae outbreak from that water

Ha I did actually notice that the last service sticker was February 2012. :/

 

[marsh]

Yea your stand height is a bit short but no harm in leaving your skimmer where it is. Another option u could do is get a 10 gal tank and find a stand the same height or a bit shorter and have a display fuge and plumb the fuge tank to the main display tank and that will give you some diff fish options also ex: if you'd like sea horses then you would be able to plant the tank with macro and a bit of live rock and have a sea horse tank with a purpose since both the fuge and sea horses and pipe fish need lower flows just an idea

ABSOLUTELY great advice. My husband and I would both love to have seahorses, we wanted to do a species tank at first but the 55 wasn't ideal